Idzik and co draft conference

[JetNation]

[BroadwayJoe12]

http://www.newyorkjets.com/photos-and-videos/videos/To-Idzik-Drafts-Like-Gameday/ca902392-c53a-46f9-90f8-d93fdf15a24f

 

Pretty status quo, but you just get the sense that Idzik has a way of operating and isn't going to deviate no matter who is questioning or pressuring him, really like the way he handles himself in interviews.  Bradway seemed a bit excited when talking about what Idzik brings to the table and you get the feeling that he respects what Idzik brings to the table and the fact he didn't come in and just change things to change them.  Speaking of respect, the most telling part came probably around the 29 minute marker when Idzik was saying how Rex, as the head coach, will of course have a say in the personnel process, as any head coach should, but no person, be it scout or coach, will have preference over another.  He said something along the lines of some of these scouts have seen the same player for multiple years and multiple times in person and he is obviously going to have a big say regarding that prospect compared to just one person overruling everyone.  Which goes onto Idzik's point about having conviction; doesn't matter if it's a popular pick amongst scouts, general managers or even draftnicks, as long as you realize you put in a lot of work, you have to have conviction in your pick and your preparation. 

 

Pretty excited for this draft.

[Cyberjet]

Nice summary. Agree 100%. The year Ryan picked Conners - makes you wonder how the scouts felt after all their hard work. Idzik will stick to the board and be true to all the hard work the Jets personnel put into this process.

[derp]

Looking forward to checking this out, but I like what you touched on with Idzik giving some weight to everyone. There have been stories about how the scouts have or haven't liked certain players but for whatever reason the team went in a different direction (Bradway loving Russell Wilson last year, scouts liking Freeman over Sanchez but Tanny deciding to move up for Sanchez after a private workout, I believe scouts didn't like Gholston but that was a Mangini pick...). Who knows how true they are, but I think a guy who's going to listen to the guys who are paid to watch prospects instead of get wowed by a private workout and an interview may be exactly what the Jets need as a GM.

 

Of course, it could turn out that the scouts aren't doing their job either and the draft goes poorly this year too. But hopefully that's not the case.

[bitonti]

Looking forward to checking this out, but I like what you touched on with Idzik giving some weight to everyone. There have been stories about how the scouts have or haven't liked certain players but for whatever reason the team went in a different direction (Bradway loving Russell Wilson last year, scouts liking Freeman over Sanchez but Tanny deciding to move up for Sanchez after a private workout, I believe scouts didn't like Gholston but that was a Mangini pick...). Who knows how true they are, but I think a guy who's going to listen to the guys who are paid to watch prospects instead of get wowed by a private workout and an interview may be exactly what the Jets need as a GM.

 

Of course, it could turn out that the scouts aren't doing their job either and the draft goes poorly this year too. But hopefully that's not the case.

 

im sure there were glowing scouting reports written about Sanchez and Gholston (and Revis and Mangold). Scouting isn't an exact science and neither is the draft. I agree it's good that this guy sounds level headed. Or at least that there's less leaks. 

[BroadwayJoe12]

im sure there were glowing scouting reports written about Sanchez and Gholston (and Revis and Mangold). Scouting isn't an exact science and neither is the draft. I agree it's good that this guy sounds level headed. Or at least that there's less leaks. 

 

Agreed.  Seven years from now we could be having the same discussions, but at the very least I enjoy how frank he is about keeping things in-house and how thus far, things have seemed to stay in-house.

[derp]

Agreed.  Seven years from now we could be having the same discussions, but at the very least I enjoy how frank he is about keeping things in-house and how thus far, things have seemed to stay in-house.

 

Yeah, I kind of hope the things that have left the building (interest in Ertz, Washington, and Moore to name a few guys) aren't true for the most part too.

[F.Chowds]

Chance for NY Jets GM John Idzik to finally draft own plan

 

 

 

Jets rookie general manager John Idzik finally has final say for the first time in his 22 years in NFL front offices with four teams. Now all he has to do in the next seven days is decide whether the Bucs have offered enough for him to trade Darrelle Revis, one of the five best players in franchise history, and then turn the draft picks into a gold mine to restock the roster.

 

It’s an easy call as far as I’m concerned. Keep Revis, then sign him to a new long-term deal after seeing how far along he is in training camp, by using one very important piece of leverage: Does Revis, coming off an ACL injury, want to play this season for $6 million (his base salary is $3 million plus another $3 million in bonuses he can earn before the season opener), risk tearing his ACL again and then watch the 2014 free agent market disappear before he gets a chance to cash in?

 

Idzik said nothing in his predraft news conference Wednesday that would indicate Revis will still be with the Jets when it comes time for the Bucs to make the 13th pick of the draft, which kicks off on Thursday.

 

“We will definitely look at any trade possibilities and see if it benefits the Jets,” he said.

 

When he was asked if Revis will be on the roster this season, he said, “I don’t like looking too far ahead.”

 

The Bucs are offering their No. 1 pick, 13th overall, in next week’s draft, as the primary compensation along with lower-round picks, but with no other team interested at the moment, they are bidding against themselves. If that’s the deal Idzik pulls off, then the Jets will have the ninth and 13th picks in a draft whose strength and value is considered from the middle of the first round through the second round.

 

If Idzik stays put with the two first-round picks, he can hope that Alabama’s Dee Milliner slips to No. 9 and immediately steps in for Revis and then perhaps finds firepower for the offense by taking West Virginia’s smallish but dynamic receiver Tavon Austin at No. 13.

 

Or, with the Jets having so many needs, he can attempt to move down in the first round with one or both of the No. 1 picks and trade for additional selections in the second and third round to replenish a roster that is already down 12 starters.

 

Of course, if Idzik trades Revis, he better not blow the picks.

 

Idzik is deliberate. He’s stubborn. He also has a reputation for being very smart.

 

 

But this is also the first time he is making football personnel decisions. He stressed how this will be a group decision, but is that a good thing? That is how the Jets operated with Mike Tannenbaum, more of a money guy than a personnel guy. But by hiring Idzik, whose primary responsibility has been the salary cap, Jets owner Woody Johnson didn’t change the structure of the organization.

 

“John has been in the league a long time,” one NFL source said Wednesday. “He’s been to three places (Tampa, Arizona, Seattle) and he’s worked with great people. He’s worked his butt off. He’s exceptionally bright. The biggest challenge is evaluating the evaluators and who he is choosing to listen to. He doesn’t have the experience to watch tape and override somebody right now.”

Idzik’s decision on Revis will help shape the Jets’ immediate future, and the result will be a direct reflection on Idzik.

“I don’t look at it like that,” he said. “I never look at it as I’m being viewed. That doesn’t enter my mind. It’s really all about the Jets and any decision we make, especially those of a very high magnitude, we’re going to put a lot of thought into it.”

 

In the end, Idzik has to decide what is right. That is why Johnson hired him. This must be his call, not the call of his lieutenants.

“Yes, I turn the card in,” he said. “That is different.”

 

It would be no problem if Idzik’s toughest decision since taking over for Tannenbaum was deciding to cut Bart Scott. But Tannenbaum threw a doozy in his lap: The best defensive player in NFL, one who wants to be paid $16 million per year is coming off a severe knee injury, is going into the final year of his deal, and a clause in his contract prohibits the Jets from using the franchise tag on him.

Idzik has been negotiating with Bucs GM Mark Dominik. They worked together in Tampa from 1995-2001 but apparently were not best buddies. That should not impact their ability to get the deal done. One source said Wednesday the Bucs’ interest is driven by Dave Wannstedt, a Tampa assistant coach, who was Revis’ coach at Pitt.

 

Wannstedt and Bucs coach Greg Schiano are tight – Wannstedt once hired Schiano on his staff in Chicago and Schiano returned the favor by making Wannstedt his special teams coach after he was fired as defensive coordinator by the Bills when head coach Chan Gailey was fired after last season.

 

The Bucs are the only team pushing for Revis. Idzik can only hope another team steps up in the next few days so he can leverage it against the Bucs as he’s about to make a franchise-defining decision.

[slats]

I know there's a lot of confidence in Idzik around here in general right now, simply by going about his business quietly, but this is why I wasn't excited about him in the first place...

“John has been in the league a long time,” one NFL source said Wednesday. “He’s been to three places (Tampa, Arizona, Seattle) and he’s worked with great people. He’s worked his butt off. He’s exceptionally bright. The biggest challenge is evaluating the evaluators and who he is choosing to listen to. He doesn’t have the experience to watch tape and override somebody right now.”

That's not easy to do. The most charismatic and persuasive guy in the room isn't necessarily the smartest guy in the room. In fact, he's probably not. Idzik will have a much better idea of who he should be listening to the most after this draft, the one where he's likely to have to top half picks.

And the Jets front office is basically the same as is was under Tannenbaum. So Idzik needs to listen to the people who didn't push for Sanchez, Gholston, Greene, etc. So who does he listen to?

Not easy.